Some-time ago I posted this photograph of an airman and assumed that it was taken at Bovingdon. I suspected it was John Puczynski's Dad but wasn't sure.
Recently I've been doing a bit of internet gleaning trying to dream up something to post when I came across this second image:
Hurricane LF363 but not at Bovingdon. Pictured at Martlesham Heath with the Battle of Britain Flight 1959.
So then I e-mailed John Puczynski who replied as follows:
The photos show my father. The connection is that when WW2 ended my father, who had been in the Polish Air Force (starting out as a Polish National Serviceman at Warsaw's Okecie airport and working for LOT) , was posted to RAF Bovingdon. He transferred to the RAF and was with the Fighter Command Communications Squadron. After a posting to Singapore he was posted to Biggin Hill where he worked on Meteors and Hunters. He volunteered to help form a historic flight and over the years became a mainstay of the flight. In the days up to his retirement at Coltishall we remained living in Bovingdon while he was posted to various stations, including Martlesham Heath and North Weald. In those days the flight was not established and was funded through being part of a station flight and through other means. At one point the flight had 13 aircraft but almost any senior officer could pull strings and get to fly one of the aircraft. This resulted in a number of aircraft being damaged through lack of pilot currency and forgetting to lower the undercarriage. Other aircraft were donated to US museums. When he retired from the RAF the flight was put on a more formal footing and the official history of the BBMF was started. I attach a picture of my father with Jeffrey Quill when Vickers presented the flight with AB910.
Air Vice Marshal Vincent flew LF363 in the Battle of Britain Flypasts of 1948 and 1949.
A bit more gleaning turned this up:
Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC AFC AE. (1920-2018) Posted in 1950 to Headquarters Fighter Command, Bentley Priory and living at Flamstead, not too far from Bovingdon.
Chief Technician Puczynski , Jeffrey Quill and LS363 at Coltishall in 1965.